1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method capable of automatically storing a vehicle identification code among electronic control units in each vehicle and, more particularly, to a system and method for communicating vehicle information along with the vehicle identification code with an external management station through a radio signal.
2. Related Art
It is known to transmit vehicle information such as a vehicle inspection result (diagnosis information regarding an abnormality in an engine-related devices) on the vehicle side from the vehicle to a management station via a radio signal communication. The management station is thus enabled to instruct the user of the vehicle to repair the vehicle in response to the received vehicle inspection result.
In this type of centralized system, each vehicle is required to transmit the inspection result along with a vehicle identification code, which specifies the vehicle. As this code must be set to differ from vehicle to vehicle, it is stored in a non-volatile memory of an electronic control unit (ECU) such as an engine ECU of each vehicle when the ECU is mounted on the vehicle.
In the event that the ECU has to be replaced by a new one because of failure or malfunction, for instance, it is necessary to check the vehicle identification code stored in the non-volatile memory of the old ECU and to store it again in a non-volatile memory of the new ECU.